Drain valve for crank cases



Dec. 5, 1933. l.. D. TRICE Er AL 1,938,505

DRAIN VALVE FOR CRANK CASES Filed Aug. 12, 1951 gvwmwtow L @land D. Pise E 1921 FA. H I'C Patented Dec.v 5, 1933 UNITED STATES DRAIN VALVE FOR CRANK CASES Leland DeweyrTrice and Edgar Arnold Hicks, Waco, Tex.; said Trice assigner to E. A. Hicks, McLennan County, Tex.

Application August 12, 1931. Serial No. 556,642

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a valve suitable for use as a drain for the crankcases of automobiles or other internal combustion engines.

An object of this invention is to provide a slide valve adapted to be inserted in place of the usual drain plug in the crankcase and one in which it is impossible for grit or other foreign materials to interfere with the operation thereof since it is completely enclosed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which is made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the invention showing the assembled construction,

Figure 2, a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3, a perspective View of the upper part of the drain valve,

Figure 4, a perspective View of the slide plate,

Figure 5, a perspective View showing the spring, and

Figure 6, a perspective of the lower part of the drain valve.

In the drawing reference character l0 indicates a portion of the crankcase having the usual screw-threaded opening 11.

Numeral 12 indicates the upper part of the drain valve which is pro-vided with a threaded sleeve 13 adapted to be turnedinto the opening 11 thus serving as an outlet from the crankcase 10. The lower part 14 is secured by any suitable means to the upper part 12, preferably by screws 15 as shown in Figure 1.

The lower part 14 has a cut-out portion 16 forming a recess between the upper and lower parts in which a. plate 17 is slidably engaged.

The plate 17 is so formed that shoulders 18 are provided which engage the projections 19 thereby preventing the plate 17 from being pulled completely from its housing. Plate 17 has an opening 20 therethrough which registers with the sleeve 13 and an opening 21 in the bottom part 14 when the valve is in open position.

An opening or slot 22 in the projecting portion of the plate 17 serves as a means for operably engaging the plate.

A recess 23 as shown in Figure 6 is formed around the opening 21 and extends longitudinally beneath the plate 17.

A flat spring 24 is xed at one end in the recess 23 by suitable means, preferably a rivet 25, as shown in Figure 1. The Vfree ends 26 of the spring 24 are rounded and are engageable in a transverse depression 27 in the plate 17 when said plate is in pulled out or opened position.

The spring ends are normally engageable with the under surface of plate 17.

The operation of the valve is as follows:

Considering the valve in closed position, as shown in Figure l, the plate 17 is at its extreme inward position and the opening 20 does not register with the openings in the upper and lower parts. The valve is opened by simply pulling the plate 17 to the right or outwardly until the shoulders 18 strike the projections 19. At this position the opening 20 registers with the openings in the upper and lower parts thereby forming an unrestricted passage from the crankcase to the outside. To close the valve, the reverse motion of the opening operation is necessary.

This particular construction is simple and easily applied to `the crankcase by simply removing the plug and inserting the valve just as one would do in replacing the drain plug.

It is of such construction that its use is not limited to orankcases alone but could be used as a drain valve for radiators of cars, drains for barrels, tanks and any other screw-threaded outlets of this nature.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in our device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore we do not limit ourselves to what is shown in the drawing and described in the specication, but only as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus fully describedour said invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A drain valve comprising upper and lower parts, an outlet through said parts, a recess formed in said lower part, a plate slidably mounted in said recess, an opening in said plate adaptedto register with said outlet, a second recess beneath said'plate, a at spring secured in said second recess adapted to frictionally engage said plate, said spring having rounded tips on its free end adapted to engage in a depression in said plate for holding said plate in xed opened position, substantially as set forth.

2. A drain valve comprising a housing having an outlet therethrough, a closing plate slidably mounted in said housing, an opening in said plate adapted to register with said outlet forming an unrestricted passage through said valve housing, tension means for frictionally holding said plate in set position, and a transverse slot in said plate serving as means for operable engagement with said tension means for holding said valve open, substantially as set forth.

ico

lower parts forming an unrestricted passage through said parts, a second chamber in said lower part and communicating With said slide chamber and a stationary flat spring in said second chamber adapted to frictionally engage said slide to retain it in closed position or positively engage it to retain it in open position, substantially as Set forth.

LELAND DEWEY TRICE. EDGAR ARNOLD HCKS. 

